Anyone know of an "ALLERGY" to halogen lighting ?

"Being near halogen lights makes me feel nauseous and hot, and my spine bristles. Is there such a thing as a halogen allergy ?"
Question from "AD, of London SW17".

This is in one of the UK's good national newspapers today. They run a respected feature called "Notes and Queries", a section where people ask other readers for info.

Now if there is a good source of views and info on this, maybe even a sensible explanation, (perhaps even of medical worth !), it's:

The Assembled Members Of CPF !!

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of this *allergy* ?
(Whatever it might be, whether classed as an allergy, or a negative reaction.)

I can send our combined efforts in, with a good chance of getting a couple of short paragraphs printed.
The deadline would be around next Tuesday, 10.00 hours UK time.

And, I'd send it in with www.candlepowerforums.com as the credit.
This paper has a readership of about 500,000.
It would be interesting to see what responses we'd get.

lightlover

Ps - no jokes about how LED's are better anyway, please ......

I`ve never heard of this allergy before- but could theorise as to why it might possibly occur.

Some poorly designed/older halogen light fixtures emit a higher degree of long to medium wave UV than other light sources (flourescent, regular bulbs, etc). Usually it`s older open faced MR16s or floodlight fixtures, as the usual lamp-explosion-protecting glass present on all current fixtures and lamps blocks out any UV that gets out of the bulb. And yes, halogen bulbs do explode now and then, it`s fairly rare but still an issue.
It may turn out that this "Halogen Lamp Allergy" sufferer is overly sensitive to those wavelengths of UV light- it would help to know more about theuir medical background of course. It would have to be something to do with the characteristic emissions of halogen lamps- and the slightly elevated levels of UV stand out to me as being a potential cause.

Chris M.

If it was the UV light causing the problem, then exposure to sunlight should have a bad effect also?. here is a link about people who have a genetic disorder where exposure to UV light can be lethal http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov/innovation/Innovation64/spacesuit.htm

I'm guessing that it has nothing to do with exposure to light causing these problems. some people are more sensitive to electric fields than others(transformer used for halogen lamps?), and my guess is that this is a more likely cause (but then again, I'm chemist, so what would I know?). Then again, it might just be a powerful halogen lamp which gives off lots of heat.
also do a web search for sick building syndrome

Lightlover, we are talking about a human here are'nt we?

p.s. it's nice to see somebody else who reads "the sport"

p.p.s I know what paper you really mean, and some of their other questions have been : why is snot green? has anybody ever died of boredom? and where have all the hippies gone? so possibly you should take the question with a pinch of salt.


Alan.

If it was the UV light causing the problem, then exposure to sunlight should have a bad effect also?

Of course! Tons and tons of UV in midday sun light and still a lot about on a cloudy day. I have heard about the sunlight allegy sufferers. In some rare cases they can`t be exposed to any light, even the artificial kind. No cure for it at present either.


Your theory about the em field is possible, but there are larger transformers emitting larger fields in other things, not all halogen lamps need one (ie, mains powered) and most low voltage halogen lighting these days runs from compact electronic transformers that emit a minimal EM field. So it`s probably not that one. Unless it`s the high frequency EM radiation from these electronic transformers that somehow noodles with the mind/skin/etc?

Heat- well when you read the quote "Being near halogen lights makes me feel nauseous and hot..." it does make me wonder- how close are they sitting to these lamps?! I`d feel nausios and hot if I sat under a half kilowatt garden flood lamp all afternoon .


Such the strange one to be sure.

But if this is really out of the Daily Sport, reach for that salt shaker and pinch away...

Chris, chemist,

It was in "The Guardian", of course.
(For our American members, that's a respectable broadsheet, while "The Sport" is a low version of "The National Enquirer".)

Yes, the question was asked by and for a human, and I believe it to be a serious enquiry.
They do have some arcane questions in that section though.
(What's more, I personally do know where all the hippies have gone.)

lightlover

lightlover.

for research purposes only, I've just sat in front of my halogen desk lamp(20W) for the last 30mins with the light pointing directly at myself. I was close enough to feel the heat from the lamp. I dont feel ill or hot, but everything has gone very dark and when i close my eyes I can see the filament from the lamp(which is now switched off). If the person is sitting close enough to the lamp, then the combination of heat and disorientation from the bright light may well cause the effects noted. this is a long shot though, and i still think something else is causing the problem. luckily for me there is an eye hospital just along the road .

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> (What's more, I personally do know where all the hippies have gone.) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

you can't just leave us hanging on this one, I'll not get to sleep now.


think I'll just go and lie down now and watch the floating filament

Alan.

Maybe they are just alergic to house dust, and the heat of the halogen lamp does a good job of vaporizing more than the usual amount of it.

Keep 'em coming guys - good publicity from this could be useful to CPF.

Imagine - a whole bunch of new British members could join up ...... (All going: "I say, old chap" ... )

Once we're nearer the deadline, I'll post for comment a precis of all the suggestions, then send it in.

Evan,
the question as above is all I know of the issue, but I got the impression (somehow) that it was in a work situation.

But whatever, go for it: members, your theories are needed here !!

Chemist,
thanks for your selfless experiment. Science has indeed been furthered.
(Oh, about the hippies - I'm not allowed to tell. Sleep tight.)

lightlover

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by *something ridiculous ?:
Keep 'em coming guys - good publicity from this could be useful to CPF.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would first question if the individual had prior knowledge that these were halogen lights. These lights have received some bad press over the last couple of years as a potential fire hazard. If this is a hyper sensitive person anxiety could be producing these symptoms. Also, taking a "Sick Building Syndrome" cue from Alchemist, there is the admittedly remote possibility that the heat from the halogen lighting is potentiating the S.B. Syndrome effects upon this very vulnerable individual.

How far out should we get in our hypotheses?
I knew someone who became sick working in a Broadway show where many special effects were used that included painfully loud sounds, different chemical agents used to create colored smoke, explosions and other audio/visual effects. This person's displeasure in working there was exacerbated by the fact that she absolutely loathed her boss. She eventually brought suit against the theater owners and show producers, and had become an angry and bitter person when her hated boss suddenly resigned. Within a week her symptoms had diminished to the point that she dropped the suit and returned to her usual (relatively) rational self. She still had discomfort, but it had become tolerable.

I included this to illustrate the power of the mind-body connection in solving what may appear to be a purely physical problem.

Brightnorm